Germany is in the semifinals! Although the DFB women were outnumbered since the 13th minute, coach Christian Wück’s team fought their way into the penalty shootout and were able to beat the Frenchwomen.
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The game started with a special excitement. After about twelve minutes, the referee Tess Olofsson was ordered to the VAR monitor out of nowhere by the video assistant. The reason: Kathrin Hendrich had pulled Griedge Mbock’s hair during a harmless free kick. The Swedish referee immediately decided on a red card and a penalty kick for France. Grace Geyoro converted this to 1-0 with a bit of luck.
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In the 25th minute, the Germans struck back. After a corner kick to the near post, Sjoeke Nüsken headed the DFB women back into the game. Although the Frenchwomen continued to push, the really dangerous scoring chances remained absent until halftime.
However, this was to change after the break. In the 57th minute, the bell rang again in the German goal. After a world-class parade by Ann-Kathrin Berger, the ball landed at the feet of Grace Geyoro, who was able to push the leather into the goal from a short distance. But here too, the video assistant spoke up.
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The reason: France’s Lakrar had actively gone to the ball from an offside position after Berger’s parade and had thus actively intervened in the game. Referee Olofsson consistently decided on offside and took the goal back.
In the 68th minute, a cheer echoed through St. Jakobs Park. After a foul by Bacha against Jule Brand, the referee pointed to the spot. But the cheer of the German fans who had traveled with them was to fall silent again. Sjoeke Nüsken stepped up to take the penalty and failed to score against France’s goalkeeper Peyraud-Magnin.
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In a fiercely contested final phase, neither the Frenchwomen nor the Germans were able to become really dangerous again. Due to inaccuracies in the last pass or in the finish, neither team was able to become really dangerous again. After the end of the eight-minute stoppage time, both teams went to the dressing rooms to catch their breath before the extension.
And here Ann-Kathrin Berger was to become immortal again in the 103rd minute. After a missed header defense that sailed towards the goal via a rainbow, the goalkeeper sprinted back and parried the ball with a spectacular dive on the line.
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The rest of the extension was a pure fight. The German women threw themselves into every conceivable ball, while the Frenchwomen, despite their long superiority, were no longer able to develop the necessary penetration power and also had a bit of bad luck in the end. In stoppage time, Malard hit the crossbar for France from around 30 meters. The game was to be decided as dramatically as possible. In the penalty shootout.
Germany was allowed to start. Janina Minge went to the point first and scored to make it 1-0. The first penalty for the Frenchwomen by Amel Majri was parried directly by the outstanding Ann-Kathrin Berger. Linda Dallmann took the second shot for the Germans and spectacularly slammed the ball into the corner. Sakina Karchaoui then scored to make it 2-1.
But the DFB women continued to show nerves of steel. Rebecca Knaak scored to make it 3-1, before Melvine Malard scored for France to make it 3-2. Then the setback for the German national players. Sara Däbritz missed the fourth penalty against the post – Sandy Baltimore was able to equalize to make it 3-3.
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Ann-Kathrin Berger took the fifth penalty for Germany and safely converted it to make it 4-3. But Jean-François also scored for France.
Ann-Kathrin Berger, Oriane Jean-François, Klara Bühl, and Melween N’Dongala were also able to convert their penalties. Then Sjoeke Nüsken was allowed to go. After the midfielder had missed her penalty in regular time, the Chelsea player scored again to take the lead for the Germans. France’s Alice Sombath had to go to the point. And here Ann-Kathrin Berger was there again. The woman for whom the superlatives are soon to be exhausted, parried the penalty and put the lid on it. Germany is in the semifinals against Spain.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 SEBASTIEN BOZON – AFP or licensors
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